1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to treatment of wounds, and more specifically to improved apparatus and methods for treating a wound on a patient's body by applying reduced pressure to the body at the site of the wound. In this context, the term “wound” is to be interpreted broadly, to include any wound that may be treated using reduced pressure.
2. Description of the Related Art
The treatment of open or chronic wounds that are too large to spontaneously close or otherwise fail to heal by means of applying reduced pressure to the site of the wound is well known in the art. One such system is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/652,100, which was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Aug. 28, 2003. The disclosure of this U.S. patent application is incorporated herein by reference. Another system is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/026,733, entitled “Improved Reduced Pressure Wound Treatment Appliance,” which was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Dec. 30, 2004. The disclosure of this U.S. patent application is also incorporated herein by reference. Yet another system is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/064,813, entitled “Improved Flexible Reduced Pressure Wound Treatment Appliance,” which was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Feb. 24, 2005. The disclosure of this U.S. patent application is also incorporated herein by reference.
Reduced pressure wound treatment systems currently known in the art commonly involve placing a treatment device that is impermeable to liquids over the wound, using various means to seal the treatment device to the tissue of the patient surrounding the wound, and connecting a source of reduced pressure (such as a vacuum pump) to the treatment device in a manner so that an area of reduced pressure is created under the treatment device in the area of the wound. The systems also typically act to remove exudate that may be aspirated from the wound. Thus, such systems also typically have a separate collection device located between the reduced pressure source and the treatment device to collect. This collection device represents a separate source of expense in reduced pressure wound treatment. In addition, it is advantageous in some circumstances to remove exudate from the wound so that the exudate does not remain in the presence of the wound. For example, healing of the wound may be enhanced by the removal of exudate from the wound in some circumstances. In yet other cases, it may be advantageous to be able to gain physical access to the wound without having to remove the treatment device from the body surrounding the wound. For example, it may be desirable to monitor or treat the condition of the wound during the treatment process. If the treatment device is sealed to the body using an adhesive tape, removing the adhesive tape to monitor or treat the wound may cause discomfort and pain for the patient.
Therefore, there is a need for a wound treatment device that can eliminate the requirement for a separate collection device to collect exudate from the wound. This type of device could reduce the expense involved in wound treatment by eliminating the need for the collection device. There is also a need for such a treatment device to remove exudate from the presence of the wound to aid in wound healing. It may also be desirable for this type of treatment device to be disposable in certain circumstances. Further, there is a need for a treatment device that would allow for physical access to the wound without the need for removing the treatment device from the body. This type of device could enhance patient comfort. In addition, where the access is simple and quickly obtained, it could also decrease the cost of wound treatment by reducing the time required of healthcare practitioners to be involved in wound treatment. Finally, there is also a need for a reduced pressure treatment system that is relatively inexpensive, while meeting the needs described above.